Eyeleting machine



Nov. 5, 1946. s, R, G OK'N 2,410,495

I EYELETING MACHINE v Filed'Aug. 29, 1944 4 She ets-Sheet 1 [raven tor Sylvester/ G'ookin B his Attorney Nov. 5, 1946; Y s. GOOKIN EYELETING MACHINE Filed Aug. 29, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 lnven tor Nov, 5, 1946. 5. R. GQOKIN v 2,410,495

EYELETING MACHINE Filed Aug. 29, 1944 4' Sheets-Sheet 5 [In/eh tor Sylvester R. Goo/(in .5 his Attorney Nov. 5, 1946.-

s. R. GOOKIN EYELETING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Shet '4 Filed Aug. 29, 1944 [nu en tar Jylvesfer' R. Gdolgz'n Patented Nov. 5, 1946 EYELE'KENG MACHINE Sylvester R. Gookin, Marshfield, Mass, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. 5., a corporation of New Jersey Application August 29, 1944, Serial-No. 551,647

8 Claims.

This invention relates to eyeleting machines in which mechanism is arranged to feed the work automatically one step after each eyelet has been inserted, Such a machine is illustrated and described in United States Letters Patent No. 2,300,499, granted November 3, 1942, on application of S. L. Gookin. ,It is to be observed that the category defined above excludes those machines in which the work-feeding stage of each cycle occurs prior to the eyelet-inserting stage of the same cycle. The reason for this distinction is hereinafter explained.

Some types of military boots and sports boots are provided with straps stitched to the tops of the quarters and arranged to be buckled across the shins above the margins to be eyeleted. No eyelets are placed where they will be covered by the straps, but the nearest eyelets are so near the lower edges of the straps that the latter would foul the edge gage or the presser foot of an eyeleting machine of the work-feeding type. A similar difi'iculty is involved when eyeleting one of the quarters of an upper having a closed throat at the vamp center, provided the last eyelet of a series is less than a full feeding step from the throat.

With regard to the fouling problem above explained, the present invention provides a solution that is applicable to eyeleting machines of the work-feeding type in which the normal work feeding stage of each cycle is later than the eyelet-inserting stage. The solution is provided by means under the control .of the operator for rpreventing the normal operation of the Workfeeding mechanism during the final cycle of each run of the machine without affecting the normal operation of the eyelet-inserting mechanism or the normal stopping of the machine. The net result of such prevention is that an eyelet will be inserted, but the work will not be fed in the final cycle, regardless of the number of cycles in a run; but if a run includes more than one cycle, the work will be fed in each cycle except the last.

As herein illustrated, the controllable means for preventing the normal operation of the workfeeding mechanism is coupled with a manually movable controlling member of a clutch-andbrake assemblage of a well-known type. elements are so related that no abnormal effect will occur so long as the controlling member is heldin the position that causes the machine to run, but when that member is shifted to its 'stop ping position, as by releasing a clutch-controlling treadle, it places. the controllable means :in a

These position to prevent the work-feeding mechanism I in the first paragraph, a machine of the other category, in which the work-feeding step of each cycle occurs prior to the eyelet-inserting stage, is outside the scope of this invention becausethe feeding step of the final cycle is necessary to place the work in the correct position to receive the corresponding eyelet.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a vertical section of an eyeleting machine embodying the present invention, the front of the machine being at the left;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the work-feeding mechanism;

Fig. 3 is an elevation, partly in section, of the work-feeding mechanism, the direction of View being the same as Fig. 1. In Figs. 2 and 3 the movable parts are about 180 of a cycle removed from their zero or stopping positions;

Fig. 4 is an elevation of the cam-and-lever assemblage for operating the toggle shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of an assemblage including the work-supporting table, the presser foot, the movable punch-block, and the workengaging member of the feeding mechanism;

Fig.=6 is a vertical section of the parts intersected by line VIVI in Fi ,5;

Fig. 7 is a sectional front elevation, on a larger scale, including portions of the work-supporting table, the feeding member, an eyeleted workpiece, and the punching members;

Fig, 8 is a sectional elevation of an assemblage including the clutch-controlling means, the means for preventing the normal operation of the work-feeding mechanism, and coupling means by which they are connected to coordinate their efiects, the direction of the view being the same as that of Fi 1;

Fig. ,9 is a perspective view of the trains of partsoperable by a single treadle, one of such trains being that included in Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 isa vertical section through the clutchand-brake assemblage; and

Fig. 11 illustrates a portion of the top, of a heavy boot of a. type that presents the problem with which this invention is concerned.

In Fig. 11a hand points the direction in which the work is fed by an eyeleting machine of the type hereinafterdescribed. ,An edge-gage i2 is arranged :to guide the lacing edge E3 of a quarter I4 while-the latter is held against .a table l5 by a spring-loaded presser foot I'E (Figs. 1 and 5). A

broad strap I! attached to the top of the quarters by stitches projects from the edge l3 to be wrapped around the wearers shin and secured to the other quarter by buckles (not shown) If the strap I1 is folded as represented in Fig. 11, its leading edge l8 may approach the eyelet-inserting locality of an eyeleting machine without fouling the presser foot or some other element of the machine that would otherwise obstruct its progress, and such folding enables the machine to insert the last eyelet 29 of a series at the desired point. I

When a work-piece such as that represented in Fig. 11 is in the position required to insert the last eyelet 28, the edge iii of the strap may overlie the shank portion of the edge gage i2, but if one more feeding step were attempted this edge would foul the shank of the presser foot. In that event the work-piece or some element of the machine would be damaged. The following description will explain how the present invention provides for eliminating the feeding step in the final cycle of every run without affecting the operation of the machine in any other respect. With the exception of the novel features provided for this purpose, the general organization of the illustrated machine is the same as that described in the aforesaid Patent No. 2,300,499. For this reason the following description will be abbreviated with respect to those features that are described at greater length in the patent above mentioned.

The work derives its feeding steps from a finger 2| (Figs. 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and '7) the tip of which is formed and arranged to enter a clenched eyelet at the eyelet-setting locality and move from right to left while in the eyelet. The normal path of the finger tip is represented by a dotted elliptical line 22 in Fig. 7 and the travel is counterclockwise. The major portion of this path is below the planeof the work-engaging surface of the table l5, but the effective portion is above that plane. An opening 23 in the table provides clearance for the finger. As each clenched eyelet except thefinal eyelet of a run is left unobstructed by the punch 24 and the spindle 25 (both of which are retracted immediately after the conclusion of the clenching stage), the tip of the finger enters the eyelet while rising from a position below the work, but if the eyelet at the setting locality is the final or only eyelet of a run, the'tip of the finger will be prevented from rising high enough to enter it. In that event the tip of the finger will approach its final position (Fig. '7 with travel along a straight line 26 without engaging the work at all.

The butt end of the finger 2| is aflixed to a rod.

21 from which it receives its feeding motion. The rod is movable endwise in a cylindrical sleeve 28 journaled in a bearing 29 in the table 5. Oscillation of the sleeve rocks the finger 2| to raise and lower its tip, the sleeve having a slot 30 the walls of which straddle and engage the butt of the finger while permitting the latter to partake of the endwise movements of the rod 21. A wider slot 3| in the bearing provides clearance for the motions of the finger. The sleeve 28- derives its rocking motion from a rotary cam 32 (Figs. 1, 8 and 9) and connections including a lever 33, a cam roll 34, a link 35', and an arm 35 rigidly related to the sleeve, A compression spring 31 (Fig. 1) normally maintains the roll 34 against its cam and raises the tip of the finger 2|, but it also permits the roll to be held away from the cam when the machine is about to be stopped at the conclusion of each run. A port on 0i the 4 frame 38 provides a seat for the spring which exerts its force against the link 35 to raise the tip of the finger 2|.

The lever 33 rocks on a fulcrum pin 39 and is provided with an arm 48 to be engaged and arrested by a stop 4| under control of the operator. As shown in Fig. 9, the stop 4| is connected to a treadle 42 which has various functions all described at a later stage.

The feeding component of the finger 2| is derived from a rotary cam 43 (Figs. 2 and 3) straddled by portions of a slide 44. The motions of the slide are communicated to the rod 27 by connections that include a'well-known means for regulating the length of the feeding steps. These connections include two links 45 and 46 and a bell-crank 81. The link and the slide 44 are connected by a pivot stud 48, and the two links are connected by a pivot pin 49. Two trunnions 56 formed on the bell-crank engage spaced flanges 5| formed on the rod 21. Regulation of the feeding steps is produced by a manually adjustable regulator 52 and a yoke 53, the regulator being affixed to a stationary pivot 54 and the yoke being connected to it by a movable pivot 55 about which the yoke swings, The arms of the yoke carry the ends of the pivot pin 49 in an arc of which the pivot 55 provides a movable center. The bell-crank 41 oscillates about a fixed center provided by a fulcrum pin 56.

The eyelet spindle 25 (Fig. 1), spring-loaded as usual, is an element of a setting tool 69 carried by a plunger 6|, while the punch 24 is carried by a plunger 62 and is provided with a setting shoulder 63 (Fig. '7). Both plungers are arranged in fixed hearings in the frame 38. The plunger 5| derives its motions from a crank E34 with which it is connected by a lever 65 arranged to rock on a fulcrum pin 66. The connection between the crank and the lever is provided by a two-piece block 61 arranged to slide in a slot 68 in the lever.

The plunger 62 derives its motions from a conjugate cam 68 (Fig. 4) and a lever 10 arranged to rock on the fulcrum pin 39. A link ll connects the lever Hi and the knee pivot 12 of a toggle comprising links 13 and 74. The link 13 and the frame 38 are connected by an anchor pivot 15, while the link "i4 and the plunger 62 are connected by a pivot 16.

Eyelets are supplied to the spindle 25 by a raceway Tl afiixed to a carrier 13. The latter swings about a vertical axis provided by a pivot '19 and derives its motions from a 'cam and a forked lever 8| arranged to rock on the fulcrum pin 39. The connections for operating the raceway carrier include a link 82, a bell-crank 83, and. a link 34.

The lever filhas an arm above the fulcrum pin 39 for shifting a punch-bed to and from V a position between the setting tools. The punch the pin at the rear end of the'slot, as shown in The only purpose of this pin-and-slot' Fig. 1. connection is to permit the punch-bed to be displaced manually toward the rear when theme;-

scription thereof now follows =as-a' basis-for its relation to the control-ofthework feeding mechanism in the final cycle of-every run.

Referring to Fig. 10, the driven member-'92 of a clutch is keyed to the shaft, but the "driving member '93 is not. The latter includes-a'pulley and maybe rotated continuously :by-a belt (not shown). Lugs 94 carried by-the driving member are arranged to be engaged 'bya key 95 arranged to'slide in an eccentric bore :in'the 'driven -mem ber 92. A spring'(not shown) is arran'gedto shift the right-hand end of the key into the path of rotation of the lugs, but in'this view the key is held in a retractedposition" by a manually movable controlling member 96. A head 9'l aflixed to the key cooperates withthe'memberBG to retract the key and toarrest rotation of the driven -mem ber 92. A wedgesurface 98 of the head does the retracting, but a shoulder '99 finally engages the member: 96 to do the arresting.

The controlling member is normally projected into the path of the-head-9'l by --a compression spring ||l that exerts upwardforce against an arm |9| afiixed to that member. A rod I02connecting the treadle 52 and the controlling member provides for tripping the clutch when the operator depresses the toe ofthe tread'le. In Fig. 8 the member-96 is shown ashaving been drawn down to'release the head 91, but the initial po-- sition of its upper end is-indicatedby dotted lines.

Before the machine is stopped by the control-- ling member 96 the lever 33' (Figs. 1 3-and 9) is arrested by the stop Mwhich-remains in the path of the arm 49 until the next tripping movement of the controlling member. Thestop tll and an arm- H13 are both affixed toa rockshaft I04 journaled in a bracket H16. A link "|05'con nects the arms ||l| and 103. These connections are so organized that when the controlling member 96 is pulled down (Fig 8) it'retracts thestop 4| from the path of the arm 40. The lever 33 is thereby restored to its cam 32 by the same motion that trips the clutch. If the controlling member is permitted to rise to its initial position before the nose of the. wedge 98 passes that cality, the machine will be arrested at the con clusion of one revolution of the shaft 9|, but the feeding finger 2| (Fig. 7) will have no effect during that revolution because the stop 4| will return to the path of the arm 40 while the tip of the finger is below its horizontal path 26. Consequently, the feeding finger will remain in the lower portion of its elliptical orbit and return along the path 26 to its initial position.

On the other hand, if the controlling member 96 is held down through one or more revolutions before being released, the feeding finger 2| will traverse its normal orbit in every cycle except the last and the work will receive feeding steps accordingly, but in the last cycle it will remain in the lower portion of its orbit as above explained, thereby leaving the last clenched eyelet of the series at the setting locality.

In Fig. 8 the two limits of normal travel of the arm 40 are represented, the upper limit thereof (dash lines) corresponding to the lowest point in the orbit of the finger 2| (Fig. 7). The arm 40 and the stop 4| are so related that if the operator'releases the treadle '42 at the conclusion of any feeding step in a run or within the first half of the next revolution of the shaft-9|, that 5 revolution will be the last of the run. The last eyelet 'willbe inserted and clenched during the first half of the last revolution, but the second half'of that revolution will be compieted without producing a feeding step.

Again referring to Fig. 9, the treadle 42 is utilized also to lift the presser foot l6 when placing a-work-piece on 'thetable l5 or-when removing it, but the connections for this purpose are described in the Patent No. 23003499 above mentioned. The pressure foot is affixed to a rod l9! and is normally pressed down by a spring ms. When the "heel end of .the'treadle is'depressed, it rocks a lever I99 one arm of which is arranged'to lift the rod lfl'l. The treadle' and the lever are connected by a chain |-|t|- and -a wire I to which a tension spring ||2 -is attached to take up 'slack in the chain.

If a work-piece (Fig. I1) is to be providedwith a series of eyelets, it will be placed on the table IS in a position to locate the first eyelet |-|4'at the point indicated. The machine inserts an eyelet during the'firsthalf of every operating cycle and imparts a feeding step to the work during the second half of every cycle except the last. Depressing the toe of the treadle'M tri-ps the clutch and retracts the stop 4| (Fig. 1) from the arm All to the position indicated in solid-lines in Fig. 8. At the beginning 'of every cycle the punch Eidescends :to the punch-bed 85 and remains at the setting locality while the punch-bed is retracted. 'Meanwhile, the plunger 6| rises, the spindle25 picks an eye'let'from the raceway and the latter moves out of the path of that plunger whichcontinues to rise until the eyelet is clenched against the shoulder 63 0f the punch. Now, the plunger -6| descends and the punch rises, leaving the clenched eyelet'unoccupied to receive the feeding finger 2| which enters it while the plunger 6| is descending in every cycle 2;; except the last.

The last permissible feeding step occurs in next to the last operating cycle, at which stage the work, after receiving "the second last eyelet l|5,'is fed'to its final position for receiving the 50 last eyelet 2|]. If the stop 4| (Fig. 8) is shifted into the path of the arm 40 at any stage during the first half of any cycle it will prevent the tip of the feeding finger from rising above the level of the line 26 (Fig. 7). The feeding finger will 55 thereafter run the remainder of its course along the line 26 instead of feeding the work, and will remain in the position shown in Fig. 7 while the machine is at rest.

Having described the invention, what I claim to as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In an automatic eyeleting machine of the type in which eyelet-inserting mechanism and work-feeding mechanism are power-driven in coordinated relation and arranged to install a series of eyelets one at a time in a work-piece and feed the latter one step after each installation during the normal operation of the machine; the combination comprising controllable means adapted to prevent engagement of the work by the work-feeding mechanism while the eyeletinserting mechanism continues its normal cycle, and manually operable means for controlling said preventing means.

2. In an automatic eyeleting machine of the type in which eyelet-inserting mechanism and work-feeding mechanism are driven in coordinated relation by a clutch and arranged to.-install a series of eyelets one at a time in a workpiece and feed the latter one step after each installation during the normal operation of the machine; the combination comprising controllable means adapted to render the work-feeding mechanism individually inefiective while the eyelet-inserting mechanism continues its normal cycle, manually operable meansior controlling the clutch, and means operable by the clutchcontrolling means -for controlling said controllable means.

3. In an automatic eyeleting machine of the type-in which eyelet-inserting mechanism and work-feeding mechanism are driven in coordinated relation by a clutch and arranged to install a series of eyelets one at a time in a work-piece and feed the latter one step after each installation during the normal operation'of the machine; the combination comprising controllable means adapted to render the work-feeding mechanism individually ineffective while the eyelet-inserting mechanism continues its normal cycle, manually operable means including a member movable to'one positionfor tripping said clutch and to another position for stopping the machine, and means operable by said manually operable means for controlling said controllable means to permit normal operation of'the work-feeding mechanism when said member occupies the position first specified but to prevent such'operation when said member occupies its stopping position.

4. In an automatic eyeleting machine of the type in which a work-feeding member is normally thrust into and retracted from successive clenched eyelets in a work-piece by one powerdriven means and otherwise reciprocated by another power-driven means to impart one or more steps of feeding movement to the work-piece; the combination comprising controllable means arranged to restrain said member from engaging a clenched eyelet orthe work-piece while said other power-driven means continuesits normal cycle, and manually operable means-for controlling said restraining means. 7

5. In an automatic eyeleting machine of the type in which, eyelet-setting means and workfeeding means are both normally driven by a clutch under control of a manually movable controlling member; the combination comprising controllable means adapted to prevent engagement of the work by said work-feeding means, and means operable by said controlling member for shifting said controllable means to and from its preventing position.

6. In an automatic eyeleting machine of the type in which eyelet-setting means and workfeeding means both derive their operating motions from a clutch-and-brake assemblage under control of a manually movable starting and stopping member; the combination comprising a movable stop adapted to prevent engagement of the work by the work-feeding means, and means operable by starting movement of said starting and stopping member for retracting said stop from its preventing position.

7.In an automatic eyeleting machine of the type in which a power-operated work-feeding finger normally enters a clenched eyelet in a work-piece to feed the latter with respect to eye-' let-setting means; the combination comprising a power-driven clutch, a manually movable memher for controlling the clutch; means driven by the clutch for operating the eyelet-setting means through one or more cycles, means driven by the clutch for operating said finger through one or more work-feeding cycles, a membercoupled with said controlling member for restraining said finger from engaging the work, and means for cooperating with said controlling member to arrest the eyelet-setting means after said restraining member takes control of the feeding finger.

8. In an automatic eyeleting machineof the type in which one of two coordinated powerdriven mechanisms is arranged to install eyelets successively in a Work-piece and the other normally thrusts a work-feeding member into the installed eyelets successively and moves that member sidewise to impart feeding movement to the work-piece; the combination comprising controllablemeans adapted to restrain said workieeding member from entering the work-piece while the, eyelet-installing mechanism continues its normal-cycle, and manually operable means for controlling said restraining means.

SYLVESTER R. GOOKIN 

